Vehicle storage and shipping container

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides a novel collapsible storage container for shipping vehicles. Specifically, the container includes a base with a plurality of anchor post receivers, a plurality of side panels and a cover detachably connected to the plurality of side panels through a latch. The side panels detachably connect to the base through a plurality of anchor post that mate with the plurality of anchor post receivers. Furthermore, the side panels detachably connected to each other through a tongue and groove system.

PRIORITY

This utility patent application claims priority based on provisionalpatent application 60/886,940 entitled “Vehicle Storage and ShippingContainer”, filed on Jan. 28, 2007.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to shipping containers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Motorcycle riders often enjoy riding in a variety of terrains andlocations. However, many are limited to enjoying the surroundings withina tolerable distance from their homes. Those wishing to experienceriding their motorcycle at a location a great distance from their usuallocation, may ride their own motorcycle to that location which mayrequire several days to ride to that location and several to return.Locations on other continents may be impossible to reach even if a riderwere willing to ride.

As another option, the rider may rent a motorcycle; but many motorcycleriders prefer to ride their own motorcycle. Riding a motorcycle withwhich the rider is experienced and familiar is much safer than anunfamiliar motorcycle. Additionally, some locations may not have rentalmotorcycles available.

As a third option, avid motorcycle riders may wish to fly to the distantlocation and have their motorcycles shipped to avoid spending time intransit or out of necessity. A number of shipping services exist toprovide this service to motorcycle enthusiasts.

The methods used by the shipping carriers vary. Many require motorcycleowners to remove the liquids from a motorcycle prior to shipping. Thiscan be difficult and messy, and may require the use of special pumps toremove the liquids from a motorcycle. Refilling the motorcycle uponreaching the destination can create problems if the delivery site is notin close to a gas station or other automotive supply to replenish thedrained fluids.

Some shipping companies require all personal items to be removed fromthe motorcycle, including the motorcycle's saddlebags. This creates anecessity for motorcycle accessories like helmet, leather protectiveware, and rain gear to be shipped separately. These items can be bulkyand burdensome to ship separately or to pack in personal luggage forairline travel. Additionally some carriers will not provide insurancefor personal items included with a motorcycle during transport.

Another possible disadvantage is that some carriers do not use anyprotective covering; rather these carriers transport motorcycles usingtrucks with tie-down straps to secure the motorcycle to the bed of atruck. This often requires driving or guiding a motorcycle up and down aramp between the ground level and the level of the truck bed. Theprocess of loading heavy motorcycles up and down a steep ramp isdangerous and can cause injury to the people loading the motorcycles anddamage to the motorcycle.

Another method of transporting motorcycles includes securing amotorcycle to a pallet. This method does provide some protection againstitems contacting the motorcycle and causing damage to the motorcycle,but this method also does not provide security for personal itemsshipped with the motorcycle.

Container shipping is yet another method of shipping motorcycles. Thecontainers are usually large metal boxes with tie-downs on the floor ofthe container. These containers cannot be compacted and take upsignificant space for the shippers to store when the containers are notin use.

Crates are yet another method of transporting a motorcycle. They areoften made out of wood or particleboard and are not durable, intendedfor one time use only. The crates usually have to be hammered togetherprior to transportation and pried apart after delivery. Other tools suchas wrenches or screwdrivers may be required to assemble or disassemblesome types of crates. There is the possibility that the proper tools maynot be available if shipping internationally to a destination that usesa different tool standard, such as metric versus imperial sizedwrenches. The assembly and disassembly requires additional labor andtime and may damage the wood crate, such that a second crate may beneeded to return the motorcycle.

Another shortcoming with several of the methods just described is thatthey cannot be stacked. Stacking shipping vessels minimizes the squarefootage necessary to ship multiple shipping vessels provided verticalspace above the containers is available. Motorcycles typically weighover 500 pounds and can weigh in excess of 800 pounds. The shippingvessels need to have the structural integrity to support hundreds andpotentially thousands of pounds if shipping containers are to bestacked. The structural integrity of wooden crates, for example, maydepend on the ability of the assembler to properly assemble crate andeven the best assembly jobs may not be able to support hundreds ofpounds if the crate is made of particle board or thin wood.

Therefore a need exists for providing a secure and safe method forshipping motorcycles. There is a need for a shipping container which cansecurely protect a motorcycle and additional personal gear, which can beeasily assembled and disassembled without the use of special tools,which is durable to withstand repeated use, which can be compacted toreduce the volume of space needed to store the shipping container whennot in use, which can be maneuvered when fully loaded with theassistance of a forklift, and which has the structural integrity toaccommodate stacking of fully loaded containers to minimize the squarefootage necessary to ship multiple containers at the same time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure provides a novel collapsible storage containerfor shipping vehicles. Specifically, the container includes a base witha plurality of anchor post receivers, a plurality of side panels and acover detachably connected to the plurality of side panels through alatch. The side panels detachably connect to the base through aplurality of anchor posts that mate with the plurality of anchor postreceivers. Furthermore, the side panels detachably connected to eachother through a tongue-and-groove system. The collapsible storagecontainer may be made of a light weight material that may includealuminum, steel, plastic and composites. The latch may include a pushrodand activator mechanism.

Refinements to the novel storage container include having a load bearingvertical support member capable of supporting the weight of a secondcontainer stacked on top of the storage container. The container mayalso include a lock that restricts access to the contents of thecontainer. The base may include forklift apertures to allow a forkliftto easily and stably lift and maneuver the container. A channel thatreceives the wheel of the vehicle being transported may also beincorporated into the base. Anchor points that include tie-down rings,tie-down straps and chains may be used with the base to secure thecontainer's contents.

To improve stability, the cover may include an elevated section and thebase may include a corresponding recess, such that during stacking theelevated section and recess provide stability. Alternatively, the covermay include a recess and the base a corresponding elevated section, suchthat during stacking the elevated section and recess provide stability.

To provide efficient storage of the collapsed container, the dimensionalfootprint of the side panels may be approximately equal to or less thanthe dimensional footprint of the base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an outside view of the novel collapsible storagecontainer.

FIG. 2A illustrates the base, side panels and cover of the novelcollapsible storage container.

FIGS. 2B and 2C illustrate the anchor post of the side panel mating withthe anchor post receiver of the base.

FIG. 3A illustrates the novel collapsible container assembled withparticular reference to the location of the mating of the anchor postand the anchor post receiver of FIGS. 2B and 2C.

FIGS. 3B and 3C illustrate the anchor post of the side panel mating withthe anchor post receiver of the base and the tongue-and-groove systemthat detachably connects the side panels to each other.

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the latch system.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the cover.

FIG. 6 illustrates the novel collapsible container fully disassembledand collapsed.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of the cover that contains elevatedsections that correspond to recesses in the base such that duringstacking the elevated section and recess provide stability.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A novel storage and shipping container is provided to meet theincreasing need to transport vehicles efficiently and with minimal riskof damage. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the container (10) is durable,reusable, and stackable. It may be dimensioned to hold a conventionalmotorcycle in its interior storage space and to maximize the number ofcontainers that can fit inside a standard semi-truck trailer at onetime. Its simple design requires minimal manufacturing materials andsteps, allowing volume production at optimal cost. Constructed of strongyet lightweight materials that may include aluminum, steel, plastic, orcomposite, the container has the structural strength to allow stackingof fully-loaded containers while its weight is optimally minimized. Thecontainer employs few individual parts to allow easy assembly anddisassembly. These parts are connected without the use of hinges,thereby avoiding the structural weakness and breakage problems ofhinges. For ease of storing and shipping, the container is collapsibleinto a space-saving, compact package, shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 2A, the container is comprised of a base (205), atleast four side panels 210, 215, 220 and 225), and a cover (230). In theillustration shown in FIG. 2A, the side panels (220 and 225) arecomprised of three panels each. In this configuration, the container(10) can collapse into a smaller configuration, such that transportationof the collapsed container (10) is more efficient. It would be apparentthat either side panel (220 and 225) may instead be a single panel.

To assemble the container, the side panels are anchored to the base(205) and then capped by the cover (230). To anchor the side panels tothe base, the side panels are equipped with anchor posts (235) that areinserted into anchor post receivers (240) provided in the base. Dashedlines 245 illustrate the placement of the anchor posts (235) in theanchor post receivers (240 and 241) for the side panels (215 and 225).Side panels (210 and 220) would anchor in a similar fashion. FIGS. 2Band 2C detail the anchor posts (235) and the anchor post receivers (240and 241). Specifically, FIG. 2B illustrates the mating of the anchorpost (235) from the side panel (220) with the anchor post receiver(241). Similarly, FIG. 2C illustrates the mating of the anchor post(235) from the side panel (210) with the anchor post receiver (240).

To connect the side panels to one another, a tongue-and-groove system isused. For example, side panel (220) contains a side that acts as thetongue (250) and side panel (210) contains a groove (255) that receivesthe tongue (250), as illustrated in FIG. 3B. As the side panels areanchored to the base (205), the panels are connected to one another bysliding one panel's connection groove into the adjacent panel'sconnection tongue. This tongue-and-groove system to connect panels toeach other and the post-and-receiver system to anchor the panels to thebase provide structural rigidity to the assembled container, allowingstacking. Also, the side panel (220) may include a load bearing verticalsupport member (221, FIG. 2A) capable of supporting the weight of asecond container stacked on top of the storage container.

Referring to FIG. 3A, the container (10) is shown assembled with theside panels connected to each other and to the base. The detailed viewof the connection of side panel (210) to side panel (220) is shown inFIG. 3B. Tongue (250) of side panel (220) slides into groove (255) ofside panel (210). These side panels are anchored to the base (205) bythe anchor post (235) and the anchor post receiver (240). FIG. 3C is adetailed view of a tongue-and-grove system in a configuration where theside panel (220) comprises three panels. As in FIG. 3B, the tongue (250)slides into the groove (255), and these panels are anchored to the base(205) by the anchor post (235) and the anchor post receiver (240).

The cover (230) is then placed over the interconnected side panels,protecting the container's contents and facilitating stacking ofcontainers. The cover (230) may be connected to the side panels using alatch system (260), shown in greater detail in FIG. 4. The latch system(260) may comprise an activator mechanism (265) connected to a pushrod(270). By activating the mechanism (265) the pushrod (270) may move inthe direction of arrow (275). The pushrod (270) travels through a sidepanel hole (280). On the underside of the cover is a structure (285)with a second hole (290). When the cover is placed on the side panels,the structure (285) travels in the direction of arrow (295) causing theside panel hole (280) to align with the hole (290) in the coverstructure (285). Once the cover is in place, the mechanism (265) may beactivated causing the pushrod (270) to travel through both the sidepanel hole (280) and the hole (290) in the cover structure (285). Thecover is thus locked in place. To disassemble the container, the processis reversed. That is, the mechanism (265) is activated causing thepushrod (270) to exit the hole (290) and the cover can then be removed.Once the cover is removed, the side panels can be disconnected from eachother. The latch system (260) may also include a key lock that restrictsaccess to the contents of the container.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the cover (230). Here the cover ismade of two components, the exterior cap (232) and the cover structure(285). Note that the detailed view of the cover structure (285)illustrates the hole (290) through which the pushrod travels when thecover is locked into place. This was shown in greater detail in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 illustrates the container (10) fully disassembled and collapsedfor easy storage and transportation. To give a better point ofreference, the base (205) is shown with the two anchor receivers (240)(these were shown in greater detail in FIGS. 3B and 3C). On top of thebase (205) are the side panels (210 and 220). As is shown in FIG. 6, thedimensional footprint of the side panels when collapsed is less than thedimensional footprint of the base. On top of the collapsed side panels,the container cover may be placed. The container may optionally beequipped with a lock to allow the cover to be securely connected to thebase when the container is collapsed. The lock may include, but is notlimited to, a swinging hook on the cover that latches around a post onthe base.

Various innovations enhance the main embodiment just described. First,the number of panels and their dimensions can be optimized such thatwhen all the panels are stacked horizontally on the base, they fitentirely within the footprint of the base. The cover can be dimensionedto fit over the stack of disassembled panels and connect to the basebeneath them, thereby creating a compact, self-contained package.Second, forklift apertures can be provided on the base to allow theassembled or disassembled container to be picked up, moved, or stackedby a standard forklift. This is shown in FIG. 3A as aperture 222. Third,the base can be configured with one or more channel beams for receivingthe wheels of a vehicle (i.e., channel 242 in FIGS. 2A and 7). Thechannel beams can be offset on different horizontal planes, inverted, orboth, to enhance the container's storage capacity and ability to receivea two-wheeled vehicle. Fourth, anchor points can be provided on the baseto allow a two-wheeled vehicle to be secured inside the container. Suchanchor points might include, but are not limited to, tie-down rings(part 705, FIG. 7), tie-down straps, and chains (part 710, FIG. 7).Fifth, referring to FIG. 7, the cover (230) can be equipped withelevated sections (605) that help stabilize stacked containers, suchthat the elevated sections (605) in the cover (230) of one container fitinside corresponding recesses (610) in the base (205) of a secondcontainer. It would be apparent that the base could also be equippedwith elevated sections and the cover with recesses, which wouldaccomplish the same function. Sixth, while this specification refers tospecifically to motorcycles, it is apparent that it can be used forseveral types of personal vehicles, including, but not limited to,mopeds, scooters, three-wheeled vehicles, four-wheeled vehicles, andpersonal watercraft.

While the description above refers to particular embodiments of thepresent invention, it should be readily apparent to people of ordinaryskill in the art that a number of modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claims are intendedto cover such modifications as would fall within the true spirit andscope of the invention. The presently disclosed embodiments are,therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and notrestrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appendedclaims rather than the foregoing description. All changes that comewithin the meaning of and range of equivalency of the claims areintended to be embraced therein. Moreover, the applicants expressly donot intend that the following claims “and the embodiments in thespecification to be strictly coextensive.” Phillips v. AHW Corp., 415F.3d 1303, 1323 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (en banc).

1. A collapsible storage container, comprising: a base with a pluralityof anchor post receivers; a plurality of side panels, wherein the sidepanels comprise a plurality of anchor posts, and the plurality of sidepanels are detachably connected to the base through the plurality ofanchor posts and the plurality of anchor post receivers; wherein theplurality of side panels are detachably connected to each other througha tongue and groove system; and a cover detachably connected to theplurality of side panels through a latch.
 2. The collapsible storagecontainer of claim 1, plurality of side panels includes a load bearingvertical support member capable of supporting the weight of a secondcontainer stacked on top of the storage container.
 3. The collapsiblestorage container of claim 1 comprised of a material that is selectedfrom a group consisting of: aluminum, steel, plastic, composite, andcombinations thereof.
 4. The collapsible storage container of claim 1,further comprising a lock that restricts access to the contents of thecontainer.
 5. The collapsible storage container of claim 1, wherein thebase further comprises forklift apertures.
 6. The collapsible storagecontainer of claim 1, wherein the base further comprises at least onechannel to receive a vehicle's wheel.
 7. The collapsible storagecontainer of claim 1, wherein the base further comprises anchor pointsfor securing the container's contents.
 8. The collapsible storagecontainer of claim 7, wherein the anchor points are selected from agroup consisting of: tie-down rings, tie-down straps, chains andcombinations thereof.
 9. The collapsible storage container of claim 1,wherein the cover comprises an elevated section and the base comprises acorresponding recess, such that during stacking the elevated section andrecess provide stability.
 10. The collapsible storage container of claim1, wherein the cover comprises a recess and the base comprises acorresponding elevated section, such that during stacking the elevatedsection and recess provide stability.
 11. The collapsible storagecontainer of claim 1, wherein the latch comprises a pushrod.
 12. Thecollapsible storage container of claim 1, wherein the dimensionalfootprint of the plurality of side panels when collapsed isapproximately equal to or less than the dimensional footprint of thebase.